An international submarine cable laid by Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd outside Keelung Port was suspected to have been damaged last Friday. The damage likely occurred when a Hong Kong-registered Cameroonian cargo ship dragged its anchor. After it was revealed that the ship’s only registered executive is a Chinese national, suspicions were raised that the event could be part of Beijing's escalating gray zone tactics against Taiwan.
Despite the damage, Chunghwa Telecom immediately activated backup cables, ensuring that voice circuits, internet services, and enterprise customer operations were not affected. The Digital Affairs Ministry said that the National Communications and Cyber Security Center received the incident report from Chunghwa Telecom on Monday evening and that Coast Guard authorities have been alerted. It expects repairs to be completed by February 3, following the Lunar New Year holidays.
The ministry said that in addition to the Coast Guard Administration, it will work with the Judicial Ministry and the National Communications Commission to strengthen enforcement under the Telecommunications Act to safeguard Taiwan’s critical submarine cable infrastructure. It also cited ongoing efforts to improve backup systems and diversify communication infrastructure to mitigate risks from potential cable disruptions.